


Something Missing

by The_Liability



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:33:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24228160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Liability/pseuds/The_Liability
Summary: "You're empty aren't you? Just. Like. ME.
Kudos: 4





	Something Missing

You wake up feeling more exhausted than when you fell asleep. Or was it passed out? You’ll figure that out in a minute. Your back and legs hurt like you just fell a great distance and you’re laying on something soft that smells faintly of pollen. 

Groaning slightly you crack your eyes open and are rewarded with a bright light stabbing into your corneas. You wince and try to sit up, ignoring the dull ache in your head and the not so dull ache in your rear and legs. Scratching your head you take a look around. 

You're sitting in a bed of golden flowers, you are in a cave, a dark stone archway dominating one end. Above you sunlight streams through a hole in the roof, the light seems distorted, like it’s filtering through a window that you can't see. Seeing as you can’t remember walking through the archway, you must have fallen through that hole, it would certainly explain the bruises you can sense blossoming on your back. You wonder how you got here-

_There is a deafening noise that you dully recognize as your own screaming. Pain like a hot knife flares through your chest as you dimly register weak uncooperative limbs pulling uselessly at your restraints. It feels like burning fingers are digging into you, through flesh and bone and mind. The fingers tear a soft light from your chest, prying you away from yourself and- NO! STOPIT! GIVEITBACK!._

… It's probably not that important. 

You decide that you have lingered long enough. Getting to your feet you stumble a few steps before walking through the archway, leaving the golden flowers behind. And coming face to face with another one. You stare unblinkingly at the strange flower creature before you. The seconds drag on, and it begins to look more and more uncomfortable as they do. Eventually it speaks, twisting its face (?) into a blatantly artificial smile and injecting false cheer into its voice.

“HOWDY!” it says “I’m Flowey!, Flowey the Flower!”. You cock your head to the side without really knowing why and it continues “hmmm, your new to the underground arent’cha? Golly you must be so confused! Someone ought to teach you how things work around here. I guess little old me will have to do!”. You continue to stare blankly at him, and his brow furrows for a moment before he slaps a grin back on his face. “Ready?” he says.

…

…

Nothing happens.

“Uh…” he frowns, “hang on, that usually works… let me try again.”

…

…

Nothing happens.

“OK” he says, “what the hell?”. His face scrunches up in what is presumably concentration. He grows more and more frustrated as the minutes drag on, “Why can’t I… What the fuck is WRONG with you?!”. You blink, confused as to why he’s yelling. He growls, ”Ok y’know what? Screw it.”.

A sound not unlike machinegun fire echoes throughout the chamber and you are suddenly surrounded by floating white pellets. The flower’s face morphs into a scowl, “DIE”. Suddenly a ball of fire comes hurtling from the darkness behind him, it strikes the flower and knocks him clean out of the ground, sending him flying into the darkness. 

“What a miserable creature, torturing such a poor innocent youth”. A goat, lady, thing? Steps out of the shadows. You stare confused at the newcomer. “Ah.” she says “do not be afraid my child. I am Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins.”. The creature walks up to you, kneeling down to be at eye level, “I pass through this place everyday to see if anyone has fallen down, You are the first human to come here in a long time, come I will guide you through the catacombs.”. 

Having nothing else to do, you follow her out of the room and into a large chamber. Another archway is flanked by two flights of stairs, leading up to an elevated platform. At the foot of the platform, there is a soft yellow glow. Curiously, you turn to look at Toriel, but she isn’t paying attention. With a shrug you walk over to the glow, which appears to be emanating from a small starlike object that is floating in the air. Confused, you touch it and are met with a rush of… something. Startled, you back away feeling like there’s a gaping hole in the pit of your chest… weird. 

You walk back over to Toriel who is just shaking herself from her thoughts. Smiling down at you she leads you onwards. The purple stone of the previous room becomes a running theme as she leads you through the archway and into another chamber with several plates on the floor. “The Ruins are full of puzzles” she says, “ancient fusions between diversions and doorkeys. One must solve them in order to move from room to room.”. She steps in a pattern on the floor and the heavy stone door at the other end of the room swings open. 

Toriel leads you through the door and into yet another chamber. “To progress here you must flip several switches” she says as if reciting from a script. “Do not worry, i have labeled the correct ones.”. You wonder what the point of a puzzle is if you’re told the solution but decide to ignore it. More interesting than the puzzle however are the streams of water on the floor, you hadn't noticed before now what with almost being murdered but you're parched. Walking over to one of the streams you only hesitate a moment before dunking your head into it swallowing as much of the cool liquid as you can. 

You feel large hands beneath your armpits and suddenly you are wrenched from the water. “Heavens child!” Toriel says, “that water is freezing! You’ll catch a cold”. You frown, confused as to why she would care but decide not to push the issue having drunken your fill. Toriel sets you back on your feet and hums thoughtfully to herself, “I suppose we can try this puzzle later, come along my child.”.

Pulling the switches that are labeled she leads you onwards and you come face to face with what appears to be a ratty apartment store dummy. “As a human in the underground, monsters may try to attack you” she says, “if this happens, do not worry, simply stall for time and I will come to resolve the conflict. Please practice talking to the dummy.”. You shrug and say a few words, they’re so quiet you doubt anyone other than you can even hear them but Toriel seems pleased. You feel a twinge of something in your chest, it's odd… but not unpleasant. 

You and Toriel leave the room and are approached by a frog-like creature. It seems to want something from you, but flees seconds later after receiving a glare from Toriel. You proceed and come upon what seem to be rows of metal spikes, Toriel seems to ponder something for a moment before reaching down and grabbing your hand in hers. You jolt in surprise and she begins to pull you toward the spikes. You struggle futility, not wanting to be impaled but to your surprise they retract into the floor as you approach. Bewildered you allow Toriel to lead you to the other side of the chamber. 

“Are you alright my child?” she asks, seemingly concerned. She keeps calling you her child, you wonder why. You shrug, staring blankly at her and she opens her mouth as though to speak, before closing it again and leading you through the doorway. 

You emerge into a hallway so long that you can barely see the end of it. “You have done very well my child” she says, “but I have something very difficult to ask of you… I would like you to walk to the end of the room by yourself.”. She looks on the verge of tears, “forgive me for this.”. 

You decide to play along, waiting as she runs down the hall and darts behind a large pillar. Does she think she’s hidden or something? You walk down the hall, at the halfway point you get distracted by a flash of something yellow out of the corner of your eye. You ignore it and continue on your way. 

When you reach the end of the hall Toriel leaps out from her hiding place. “Greetings my child.” she says “fear not, I have not abandoned you, thank you for trusting me but this test was important, I needed to test your independence.”. You squint up at her, is she serious? “I am afraid that I must leave you for now, but fear not. I will give you a cell phone, if you need anything just call ok? For now simply stay here and I will return to collect you.”.

You cock your head to the side. Cell phone? What's that? Toriel doesn’t seem to notice your confusion, instead handing you a blocky object with a screen and several buttons before walking out of the room.

You blink down at the object in your hands before placing it into the pocket of your shorts. Deciding to continue onwards you stride out of the room. You jump as you feel something in your pocket start buzzing, You nearly tear the fabric of your shorts in your haste to get the phone out, throwing it to the ground in a panic and stomping on it. What the hell was that? Why was it buzzing? You shudder.

Giving the shattered remains of the cell phone one last look you decide to explore. You walk through a nearby doorway. There is a bowl filled with paper-wrapped objects with a note taped to it. You squint at the letters on the page. T...a...k… you give up, instead grabbing one of the objects from the bowl. Curiously you tear at the wrapper and find a small colorful ball inside. It reminds you of something you can't quite place, you put it in your mouth. It tastes amazing, dissolving in your mouth and leaving a sweet aftertaste. You eat another and stuff your pockets full of the strange food.

You leave the room and notice another one of those strange glowing objects, curiously you touch it and that strange hollow sensation, like you’ve used a muscle that hasn't had any exercise in years. Its slightly painful but not altogether unpleasant despite that. 

You proceed through several more rooms without much effort and nothing much happening, occasionally strange creatures will approach you, many of them seem disturbed by your presence, none seeming to want to stick around. It's as if you have an odd aura around you, the creatures, monsters, Toriel called them, almost seem to recoil from you as if they're sickened by your mere presence, disturbed by something that you can’t see and don’t understand.

Eventually your path is blocked by a strange being. It’s slightly transparent and looks as though someone is wearing a white sheet, with eye-holes cut in it. You stare down at it, it seems to be crying silently and staring off into space. You wait patiently for it to move, staring blankly. After a few minutes it seems to notice you. “Oh, I’m in your way aren’t I? Oh no… sorry… I’ll move.”. The being fades away slowly, and allows you to continue onwards. 

You leave the room and smack straight into something soft. Grunting you fall back onto your rear, blinking up at the monster that you quickly realize is Toriel who looks surprised. “Oh dear.” She says, “I am sorry, are you… My Child!” she bends down and helps you up. “I was so worried, why did you not answer the phone? I thought that something had happened to you!”. You shrug in response and after a few moments of frantically looking you over she seems to calm down.

“Well… I suppose my surprise will have to wait, come along my child.”. She takes you by the hand and you allow her to lead you onward through several more rooms, eventually coming to a modest cottage that is built into the wall of the cave. “Welcome to your new home little one” she says, ruffling your hair, “I know that it is not much, but I believe that you will be happy here.”. You furrow your brow, confused as to what she means but decide not to worry about it. “You must be exhausted” Toriel says, “come along my child” she leads you down a hallway and into a small room.

“Ta-da!” she says beaming, “a room of your own”. You look around the place, it is generously furnished, with a bed and wardrobe. Toriel looks pleased, “I will leave you to get some rest my child, feel free to make yourself comfortable.”. She walks out of the room, leaving you alone once more. You walk over to the chest at the foot of the bed, it is filled with stuffed dolls and plastic recreations of various monsters and items. You're confused as to what they're for. 

Deciding to ignore the bed you leave the room and wander back to the entryway. You notice a staircase leading down somewhere and go down it. Before you can even make it past the third step Toriel rushes into the room and leads you back upstairs. “It is very dirty down there my child” she says, “please play up here instead”. You follow her into a larger room with a table and fireplace, Toriel sits in a chair by the hearth and opens a book resting on the armrest. 

You get her attention, raising an arm to point to where the stairs lay and cocking your head to one side in an implicit question. ‘There is nothing of import down there my child” she says. You cross your arms and give her a doubtful look, “I…” she looks upset, almost desperate, “This… This is you home now my child please…”. She trails off and you stare at her blankly. “There is something I have to do.” she says, “Please stay here.”  
Despite her instructions you follow her out of the room and down the staircase to a long hallway, at the bottom she stops, her paws clenched into fists at her sides. “Every human who comes here dies” she says, “Foolish child, if you leave here they will kill you. Go to your room.”. She continues walking down the hallway and eventually she stops again. “You wish to know how to return home do you not? Ahead is the exit to the ruins, I am going to destroy it. No one will ever be able to leave here again.”. You feel a twinge of something in your chest but ignore it as you follow her to a large stone doorway. She stops once more, and when she speaks an edge of steel creeps into her voice. “Very Well.” she says, “It seems there is only one solution to this. Prove yourself, Prove to me that you are strong enough to survive.”. 

She turns around, fire spilling from her paws, she raises them as if to attack but suddenly she freezes. “W-what?” she stammers, her eyes wide and focused as if she is seeing you for the first time “H-how??? Oh my child…”. She looks as if she is going to be sick, tears are welling in her eyes. 

You stare curiously at her, what has her so worked up? “M-m-my child” she says, “W-where is your soul?”. You blink, confused what does she mean, soul? “Your soul.” she says, “the very culmination of your being. I cannot see it, it is missing.”. She covers her muzzle with one paw, she looks like she’s about to vomit. “You poor thing. W-what? What are they _doing_ to their children!? I-I can’t even imagine what that must feel like!”. She staggers towards you, wrapping her arms around you tenderly and the twinge in your chest flares up and becomes a sharp ache. 

“I am so sorry my child” she says, “to think that all this time…”. She releases you from her embrace, “If you wish to leave, I will not stop you” she says, “Without your soul I doubt that Asgore will attack you. Listen carefully my child. Head forward, ahead is snowdin and waterfall, if you continue straight on you will eventually reach the end of the cavern.”. She wipes the tears from her eyes, “I only ask that you remain safe, you are a very brave child, it may even be easier than what you have already endured. If you wish to return you may do so at any time… I hope that you find what you are looking for.”. 

She walks away somberly, turning around to look at you one last time before fleeing back down the corridor. You stare after her for a few moments, distracted by the ache in your chest. Eventually, the ache subsides, leaving you feeling weak and more hollow than usual.

You turn and open the door, straining to open the heavy slabs of stone with your short arms. You enter another hallway and continue down it, alone save for the echoes of your footsteps. When you reach the end, you emerge into a round chamber identical to the one you entered when you first fell, talking flower and all.

“What are you playing at?” it growl vehemently, “in this world, it's kill or BE killed, so you managed to get past her without fighting. What do you think you’re proving?”. Its mouth stretches into an evil grin, “You aren’t fooling anyone!” it cackles, “You’re empty aren't you? Just. Like. ME.”. Its head swells and its grin widens to unnatural proportions. “Oh boy! I’ve never had a playmate before! This is gonna be fun.”. It smirks at you, “don't worry, i’ll leave you alone for now, this is SO much more interesting.”. It vanishes into the ground, leaving you staring at the spot it once occupied.

…

You continue.

**Author's Note:**

> This is based of an old discontinued fic I read. I can not for the life of me seem to find it again, but I'll keep looking and post it here when I find it. That fic ended just after the ruins but what was there was really good and made me want to try writing one with a similar premise, though with my own spin on things.


End file.
